Артем Агафонов. Фото: t.me/agafonov_by
Belarusian pro-Russian politician Artsiom Agafonau has announced that he has left Belarus. In a post published on his Telegram channel on July 11, he wrote that he continues to follow Belarusian politics “despite the move.” He did not specify where he is currently living, although his remarks suggest that he may have relocated to Russia.
Agafonau said he can no longer remember the names of most Belarusian ministers or regional governors, while he continues to follow Russian politics closely. According to him, “Russian politics remains vibrant despite the war.”
“Just a few years ago, I could easily name a hundred Belarusian politicians, describe their positions, roles, and the issues they were associated with. Now I struggle to name even ten without checking Google or Wikipedia. Sadly, politics in Belarus has come to an end. Except for one politician. What remains are functionaries—people who merely perform functions, and whose replacement changes very little,” he wrote.
In August 2024, Agafonau spent a night in a temporary detention facility and was fined 1,000 Belarusian rubles (25 basic units) over Facebook posts. After spending the night in custody and appearing in court, he concluded that it was time to “turn the page.”
“The people I saw in the detention facility and in court, regardless of their beliefs, do not pose a threat to the state. Ordinary people are gaining experience of the penitentiary system and developing resentment toward the state, and that is not a good thing,” the activist said at the time.